UNESCO

International
Bureau of
Education
THE IBE
Curriculum matters 3
An international centre of excellence in curriculum 4
A framework for training and professional development 6
Long-term and tailored support to meet
countries¶ speci¿c priorities and needs 
A robust, wide-ranging and up-to-date knowledge base
informing policy decision-making and good practice 9
Developing synergies, enhancing networking
opportunities and facilitating policy dialogue 10
Key services in curriculum development 13
Curriculum matters

Knowledge and education are considered among The importance of a global

the major factors contributing to the reduction of
poverty, sustainable development and economic
growth – and it is the curriculum that is increasingly
viewed as the foundation of educational reforms
that are aimed at achieving high quality learning
outcomes. With this in mind, national education au-
thorities around the world, their different approaches
notwithstanding, are looking for innovative curricu-
lum solutions to improve the quality and relevance
of student learning and to enable their students to
apply their learning to the challenges and opportuni-
ties they encounter throughout their lives.
Curriculum development today
The curriculum represents a conscious and sys-
tematic selection of knowledge, skills and values: a
selection that shapes the way teaching and learn-
ing processes are organized by addressing ques-
tions such as what students should learn, why,
when and how. The curriculum is also understood,
however, as a political and social agreement that
reÀects a society¶s common vision while taking into
account local, national and global needs and ex-
pectations. Thus we see contemporary curriculum
reform and development processes increasingly
involving public discussion and consultation with
a wide range of stakeholders. Curriculum design
has evolved into a topic of considerable debate –
with frequently conÀicting perspectives – engaging
policy-makers, experts, practitioners and society
at large.
perspective on curriculum
The complexity of curriculum development pro-
cesses and the range of issues informing the µwhat¶
and the µhow¶ of teaching and learning present ma-
jor challenges for policy-makers and curriculum de-
velopers. Since curriculum development processes
are inÀuenced both by local needs and by broader,
transnational trends and models, a comprehen-
sive international perspective on curriculum issues,
trends and approaches is critical. Professionals
leading curriculum reform, development and im-
plementation at the national level should ideally be
equipped with a broad range of curriculum-related
information, knowledge, expertise and experience.
The ultimate goal of enhancing student learning
most effectively through a quality curriculum that
is relevant and inclusive is integrally connected to
strategic inputs such as upstream policy advice,
technical support, capacity development, effec-
tive networking and cooperation, and enhanced
knowledge-sharing in the ¿eld of curriculum.
The IBE: Supporting
curriculum development processes
Policy
dialogue
Evaluation & Curriculum
Assessment design

Curriculum
change
Processes System
of curriculum management &
implementation governance

Capacity Textbooks
building & other
materials

U N ES CO I NT E RNAT I O NA L B URE A U O F ED U C AT ION 3

An international centre
of excellence in curriculum

The IBE is a leading UNESCO institute in the ¿eld
of curriculum, valued both for its specialist know-
ledge, expertise and networks, and for providing
curriculum support services that include up-to-date,
evidence-based information and practical support
to UNESCO Member States.
The IBE¶s mission is to support UNESCO Member
States as they seek to enhance most effectively the
quality of student learning. Such support is offered
mainly through initiatives and activities within the
following three key action areas:
‡ capacity development of both institutions
and individuals, as well as technical
support and advice;
‡ access to curriculum-related knowledge,
experience and expertise; and
‡ the engagement of stakeholders in
an evidence-based policy dialogue
around good curriculum practice.
zations according to local contexts and demands.
Monitoring and evaluation are critical components
of the Institute¶s initiatives and activities.
The IBE facilitates access to a range of possi-
ble options and learning experiences in the ¿eld,
provides policy advice and technical support, of-
fers professional and capacity development op-
portunities, and supports curriculum developers
and other stakeholders in gaining new perspec-
tives on complex curriculum issues. In this way,
education authorities and curriculum specialists
can make their own decisions about curriculum
change, according to the demands of their own
context, through a better informed consideration of
the comparative advantages of different possible
options and strategies.

The IBE works with a wide range of partners, both

within and beyond UNESCO and the United Nations.
It also collaborates with academic institutions and
research centres in several regions of the world and
implements projects in cooperation with regional,
international, bilateral and nongovernmental organi-

4 U N ESC O IN T ER N AT ION AL BU R EAU OF ED U C AT ION

 In 2012
‡ 65 curriculum specialists participated in
the IBE’s professional activities;
‡ 194 curriculum specialists from 44 countries
around the world participated in the IBE’s
Diploma programmes;
‡ 24 countries 1 in Africa received speci¿c
technical assistance in curriculum
development; and
‡ downloads through UNESDOC of IBE
curriculum documents and publications
exceeded 300,000.

Locations of IBE activities in 2012,

indicating participants’ countries

Q Countries of participants
Q Location of IBE activities

U N ES CO I NT E RNAT I O NA L B URE A U O F ED U C AT ION 5

A framework for training
and professional development

Diploma courses in curriculum Training tools in curriculum

design and development
An important component of the IBE¶s professional
development and training service is the implemen-
tation of long-term accredited training courses in
curriculum design and development, such as the
Diploma courses organized in collaboration with
local academic institutions in Latin America and
Sub-Saharan Africa. These courses are intended
to strengthen local capacity, and target the spe-
ci¿c skills and competencies that policy decision-
makers, curriculum developers, teacher trainers
and practitioners require to lead and manage
processes of curriculum development and reform.
In order to respond to speci¿c needs and demands,
the IBE produces additional training tools, manuals
and materials, such as:
‡ a manual for integrating +I9 and AIDS
education in school curricula;
‡ a capacity development toolkit for curricular
innovation in Sub-Saharan African countries;
and
‡ training modules on inclusive education
and the curriculum.
These tools are used in tailored capacity
development workshops.

Feedback from participants in the Diploma courses

offered in Africa and Latin America over the past
three years has been overwhelmingly positive, with
overall strengthening of competencies reported at
90%, and overall appreciation of the value of the
courses averaging 95%.

The IBE aims to expand this framework of long-

term capacity development opportunities to cover
all UNESCO regions by 2017.

The Curriculum Resource Pack

The IBE has developed a set of training and profes-
sional development tools, principal among which is
the Curriculum Resource Pack. This resource pack
is organized around core modules that address
different aspects of the curriculum development
process, such as policy dialogue and formulation;
curriculum design, management, implementation
and evaluation; textbook development; and as-
sessment of and for learning. The modules, which
are continuously improved in the light of developing
global trends, can be used Àexibly in comprehen-
sive capacity development training or selectively
in the service of speci¿c needs.

6 U N ESC O IN T ER N AT ION AL BU R EAU OF ED U C AT ION

Long-term and tailored support to meet
countries¶ speci¿c priorities and needs
The IBE provides demand-driven, tailored policy
advice and technical support to countries involved
in processes of curriculum innovation, reform and
development – normally covering primary and gen-
eral secondary education – to enable curriculum
decision-makers and developers to make better-
informed decisions in developing curricula that
respond to national objectives and expectations.
These activities usually involve different combina-
tions of policy advice, technical support, capac-
ity development and knowledge production and
sharing.
The IBE¶s focus is on supporting the development
of a progressive curriculum vision and on subse-
quent efforts to translate this vision into relevant
and inclusive curriculum documents – such as
curriculum guidelines and frameworks – of high
quality.
The IBE provides long-term support of system-
atic, comprehensive and sustainable processes of
curriculum development and change, with special
emphasis on post-conÀict contexts and transition
countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia and +er-
zegovina, Kosovo, Iraq, Liberia, Sudan and, more
recently, South Sudan).
The Institute also provides tailored support of pro-
cesses of curriculum innovation, such as:
‡ the integration of cross-curricular issues
(Angola and Sub-Saharan African countries);
‡ the integration of +I9 and AIDS education into
the curriculum (mainly in Sub-Saharan African
countries);
‡ curriculum evaluation (*ulf Arab States
and Pakistan);
‡ textbook revision and teacher training
to promote gender equality (Lebanon and
9iet Nam); and
U N ES CO I NT E RNAT I O NA L B URE A U O F ED U C AT ION
‡ inclusive education (*ulf Arab States
and Latin America and the Caribbean).
With the goal of better addressing country needs
and expectations in a medium- to long-term per-
spective, the Institute¶s focus has since 201 been
increasingly on supporting and contributing to long-
term processes of curriculum reform that are better
aligned with student learning. In this context, IBE
activities are focused on customized support in
curriculum design, implementation and evaluation,
and on selected thematic areas, with special atten-
tion given to developing and post-conÀict countries.
Thematic areas that have been and continue to
be taken into consideration in the Institute¶s work
programme include literacy and numeracy in early
grades, competencies in the curriculum, gender
issues, curriculum and assessment, inclusive edu-
cation, instructional time, +I9 and AIDS, education
for local and global citizenship, and education for
sustainable development.
Workshops covering some of these thematic areas
in countries across the globe have received feed-
back from participants relating to the strengthening
of their competencies that frequently exceeds 90%.
The Institute is also exploring the possibility, de-
pending on need and demand, of supporting and
collaborating with other international organizations
and groups of countries involved in initiatives aimed
at harmonizing curricula across borders. Such sup-
port may be constituted by a combination of policy
and technical advice, the mobilization of high-level
expertise, and knowledge sharing.

 U N ESC O IN T ER N AT ION AL BU R EAU OF ED U C AT ION
A robust, wide-ranging and up-to-date
knowledge base informing policy
decision-making and good practice
The IBE makes available to the ¿eld a wide-ranging
and regularly updated set of resources in curricu-
lum, including databases such as World Data on
Education, a digital library of National Reports,
documentation and Alert services, and curriculum-
related research and policy publications. Continu-
ous development and updating of the IBE website
is an integral part of this aspect of the IBE strategy.
The IBE develops and strengthens its knowledge
base through partnerships for research and innova-
tion that include the promotion of applied research
in the ¿eld. The Institute also manages leading-
edge research published in the journal, Prospects:
quarterly review of comparative education, founded
in 1971 and produced in the IBE since 1994, and
published in English, Arabic and Chinese (with se-
lected issues published in French, Russian and
Spanish). The development of new resources,
such as a comparative analysis of curriculum de-
velopment around the world, is also envisaged.
To maximize the value of this knowledge base, the
Institute seeks to enhance its information sharing
and exchange capacity, in part through improved
clearinghouse services, by:
‡ disseminating relevant research ¿ndings
to inform innovative and effective curriculum
policy and practice, not least through
Prospects, which reaches more than
7,00 institutions worldwide;
‡ offering ef¿cient access to information
and resources on curriculum development
processes, experience and products;
U N ES CO I NT E RNAT I O NA L B URE A U O F ED U C AT ION
‡ facilitating the sharing of knowledge,
experience and expertise in the ¿eld of
curriculum development, particularly but not
exclusively among Southern countries;
‡ fostering South-South cooperation, broadening
access to Southern experience and expertise,
and identifying innovative Southern solutions
to Southern problems; and
‡ sharing expertise and resources, and
providing targeted information – drawn from
international surveys, comparative studies and
other major research initiatives – both within
UNESCO and the UN system and beyond.
Strengthening information sharing and exchange
capacity will enable the IBE to provide more
effective support to UNESCO Member States. The
Institute will achieve this by enhancing its analyti-
cal and advisory services through trend analysis,
research and policy briefs, literature reviews, work-
ing papers and case studies offering comparative
insights into good practice.
The facilitation of more effective networking, both
physically and online, will help to maximize the
value of the expertise and experience available to
contribute to the design, review and assessment
of curriculum development policies and processes.
Through these and related strategies the Institute
seeks to enhance levels of capacity development
and of cooperation and technical assistance in the
¿eld.
9
 Developing synergies, enhancing networking
opportunities and facilitating policy dialogue
As a Centre of Excellence in curriculum, the IBE
continuously strengthens its partnerships, enhances
collaboration possibilities and facilitates networking
opportunities for key actors and strategic partners
across the world, including curriculum developers
and curriculum development agencies. The IBE
seeks to exploit further the potential of communi-
ties of professionals and institutions in the ¿eld of
curriculum, both to mobilize high-level expertise
and to share ideas, experience and good practice.
Mapping regional practices and needs
To these ends, the IBE is planning to re-launch its
programme of regional and sub-regional meetings,
in order to ascertain more clearly the curriculum prac-
tices, developments and needs in speci¿c contexts, to
map regional, sub-regional and national trends, and
to forge new partnerships in these different regions.
The International Conference on Education
Since the 190s the IBE has been organizing the
International Conference on Education, a major
policy dialogue forum for ministers of education
from around the world. The Conference is expected
to develop more strongly in the direction of a crea-
tive forum on the priorities of UNESCO¶s education
sector in the light of questions related to educa-
tional quality, equity, access and inclusion.
Partnerships to enhance
the IBE’s services to the ¿eld
The IBE has led the implementation of a Diploma
in curriculum design and development in Africa
and in Latin America since 2010 under a long-term
10
partnership with UNESCO¶s Section for Teacher
Development and Education Policies (EDT+E
TEP), with UNESCO Field Of¿ces in Africa and
Latin America, and with universities and institutes
in those regions (the Open University of Tanza-
nia, the Tanzanian Institute of Education, and the
Catholic University of Uruguay).
The IBE has contributed to the creation of the Re-
gional Observatory of Inclusive Education, in part-
nership with the UNESCO Regional Bureau for
Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, the
Buenos Aires Of¿ce of the UNESCO International
Institute for Educational Planning, the Organization
of Ibero-American States, the Economic Commis-
sion for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the
Latin American Campaign for the Right to Education.
Partners
within UNESCO
UNESCO HeadTuarters, Paris Ň National
Commissions Ň UNESCO Institute for
Statistics Ň International Institute for
Educational Planning Ň UNESCO Institute
for Lifelong Learning Ň Mahatma *andhi
Institute of Education for Peace and
Sustainable Development Ň UNESCO
International Institute for Capacity-Building
in Africa Ň )ield Of¿ces and Regional
Bureaus for Education: Dakar, Bangkok,
Beirut and Santiago
U N ESC O IN T ER N AT ION AL BU R EAU OF ED U C AT ION
Partners outside of
UNESCO
Ministries of education, teacher training
institutes and universities Ň United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East Ň Organi]ation
of Ibero-American States Ň Inter-American
Development Bank Ň *ulf Arab States
Educational Research Centre Ň Arab
Bureau of Education for the *ulf States Ň
The Netherlands Institute for Curriculum
Development Ň International Academy of
Education Ň )oundation EDUCA Ň
)oundation E;E Ň Saldarriaga Concha
)oundation Ň The OPEC )und for
International Development Ň University
of Pittsburgh Ň Education Research Unit,
Department of Public Education, Canton
of *eneva Ň )aculty of Psychology and
Educational Sciences, University of *eneva Ň
The *raduate Institute of International and
Development Studies, *eneva

U N ES CO I NT E RNAT I O NA L B URE A U O F ED U C AT ION 11

 The IBE’s approach
is based on principles
that include
‡ building on existing strengths and achievements;
‡ supporting countries in mobilizing the best local
expertise they can identify;
‡ fostering meaningful and productive interactions
between local and international experts;
‡ encouraging the participation, creativity and
ownership of local decision-makers and curriculum
developers; and
‡ promoting knowledge exchange and sharing, and
making available the most up-to-date information
resources.

12 U N ESC O IN T ER N AT ION AL BU R EAU OF ED U C AT ION

Key services in curriculum development
Diploma courses in curriculum
design and development
Postgraduate diploma courses in curriculum de-
sign and development have been implemented in
Latin America (since 2010) and in Sub-Saharan
Africa (since 2011) in collaboration with local aca-
demic institutions, UNESCO Regional Bureaus for
Education and other partners. By November 2012,
194 professionals and practitioners from 44 coun-
tries had bene¿ted from the diploma courses. The
IBE intends to expand these diploma courses to
cover all UNESCO regions by 2017.
Customi]ed technical
support and policy advice
The IBE combines knowledge production and shar-
ing, policy dialogue, tailored capacity development
and speci¿c ¿eld assistance to support the pro-
cesses of curriculum change and development with
a long-term perspective and focus on improving
learning outcomes.
Training and professional
development toolkits
Resource packs, or µtoolkits¶, produced by the IBE
include, among others, the Curriculum Resource
Pack, the Inclusive Education Resource Pack, the
Manual for Integrating HIV and AIDS Education in
School Curricula, the Competencies for Living and
Working in the 21st Century: Capacity Develop-
ment Toolkit for Curriculum Innovations in Sub-
Saharan African Countries, and training modules
on curriculum themes and approaches. They are
usually made available in more than one language.
U N ES CO I NT E RNAT I O NA L B URE A U O F ED U C AT ION
Databases and resources
Databases such as World Data on Education
(containing pro¿les of education systems with a
focus on curriculum) and the Country Dossiers,
the online IBE catalogue (IBEDOCs), the digital
library of National Reports, the Curriculum Collec-
tion Database, and the IBE¶s textbook collection,
historical collection and archives, are supported
and made widely available by the IBE.
Research and publications
The IBE produces, among other publications in
the ¿eld:
‡ the journal, Prospects: quarterly review
of comparative education;
‡ the book series, Studies in Curriculum and
Comparative Education, which has succeeded
the book series, Studies in Comparative
Education, published by the IBE since
the early 1970s;
‡ the series, Educational Practices,
in collaboration with the International
Academy of Education;
‡ the Working Papers on Curriculum Issues; and
‡ the series, Thinkers on Education.
Website
The IBE website provides user-friendly access to
a range of resources and information, and serves
both as an essential communication tool for the
IBE and as a key means of knowledge sharing and
dissemination. Recent annual visitors exceeded
.9 million who made 7.1 million visits.
Alerts
Regular thematic Alerts are provided to stakehold-
ers through noti¿cations of curriculum-related ma-
terials and other key publications and reports from
across the world. The service channels relevant
information and knowledge to previously identi¿ed
individuals and institutions.
13
 Milestones in the history of the
International Bureau of Education

1925
The IBE is founded in *eneva as a private,
non-governmental organization to promote
The IBE’s global
comparative educational research and
international understanding through education. and comparative insights
into curriculum, combined
1929 with its technical expertise
The IBE adopts new statutes making it the ¿rst
intergovernmental organization in the ¿eld of
and experience, its reach
education. and its networks, make it
unique among institutions
1934 in the ¿eld.
The IBE begins organizing the International
Conference on Education (ICE).

1969
The IBE becomes an integral part of UNESCO
as an “international centre of comparative
education”.

1999
The IBE¶s new mandate focuses on educational
content and methods, and on curriculum
development.

200
The 48th session of the ICE – Inclusive
Education: the way of the future – is organized
by the IBE.

2011
UNESCO adopts a strategy aimed at making the
IBE a Centre of Excellence in Curriculum.

14 U N ESC O IN T ER N AT ION AL BU R EAU OF ED U C AT ION

U N ES CO I NT E RNAT I O NA L B URE A U O F ED U C AT ION 15
INTERNATIONAL
BUREAU O) EDUCATION
www.ibe.unesco.org
Tel +41.22.917.78.00 – Fax +41.22.917.78.01

Postal address
P.O. BO; 199, 1211 *eneva 20, Switzerland

Street address
15 Route des Morillons, 1218 Le *rand-Saconnex,
*eneva, Switzerland

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Published in -uly 201 by the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE),

with support from the Republic and Canton of *eneva.

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